We rented a car and drove it 240 km from Christchurch to Oamaru. It was not a "fast trip down the highway" we were used to back in the states. It was more like a trip along US1 with speed zones and red lights in the small towns we passed through. Luckily there were not that many small towns or we would still be driving. We also had to drive slow because there was a farm tractor driving in the road in front of us. An additional slow down was a double trailer filled with sheep being driven to the market, stinky and slow. We also had to slow down for the resurfacing of the road and the surface was covered in small rocks that went flying. We had purchased the "no worries" insurance. It was expensive but there was no deductible and everything was covered. Good thing because we got a rock in the windshield just a half hour into the trip. A small star is now a permanent part of the car's windshield. We got to Oamaru at 3 PM and checked into the AirBnB and it was a great old Victorian house with no ends of fancy accents. Wallpaper, stained glass windows and doors. figurines and statuettes everywhere. All this and a view of the sea, what is not to love?
We are on the road
Our fine driver
Cool old buildings
Poor road conditions
This town is known for it's fishing
One way to learn Maori
Fields of seagulls
A thin line of trees
We did not hop into Waimate
A cool pear tree in front of the berry place
A quaint place to buy fresh fruit
A cross between a boysenberry and a blackberry. We call them Bloysenberrys
I have a big hand so this gives you an idea of how large these berries are
Fresh picked!
The biggest strawberries ever!
A fry factory
This is a farming area
We have seen the Pacific Ocean
Sunflowers
So many of them
Sunflowers!
Some wheat ready to harvest
A cool old church
Logging is the #2 industry
Timaru was a pit stop for us where we bought some supplies
Irrigation made the farming work
Trimming the hedges
So many of the rivers we have passed over are lots of gravel and little water
This one had lots of water
Three big channels flowing under this bridge
A couple of dead ones on the side of the road
More road work
We have arrived in Oamaru
Old time lights
Gingerbread exterior
A rusted cute penguin
The stained glass entry
The white room
The blue room
The backyard, soon to see scenes of silliness
Dining area
Kitchen
The bath part of bathroom
One fancy blue door
An even fancier door
Light fixture
More stained glass
We have been told that the tour of this ginnery is worthy
